Jonathan Frakes Enjoys Riker and Troi’s Romance Recreated In Star Trek: Starfleet Academy

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Jonathan Frakes, known for playing Commander Riker on Star Trek: The Next Generation, jokingly shared his expertise on dating a Betazoid with two actors from Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. His character, Riker, married Marina Sirtis’ character, Counselor Troi – a Betazoid – after a long romance that began on the planet Betazed, as seen in Star Trek: Nemesis.

The new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, is exploring a romance similar to that of Riker and Troi, focusing on cadets Caleb Mir (played by Sandro Rosta) and Tarima Sadal (Zoë Steiner). Caleb, who is human, and Tarima, a Betazoid, felt an immediate connection, even though Tarima chose to attend the War College, a school that competes with Caleb’s Starfleet Academy.

Zoë Steiner and Sandro Rosta recently spoke with ScreenRant‘s John Orquiola about their experience working with director Jonathan Frakes on episode 9 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy. They shared that Frakes playfully referenced Commander Riker’s past relationship with Counselor Troi, and even complimented Sandro Rosta on his character Caleb’s romance with a Betazoid princess. You can find their exact words below.

I definitely remember meeting Jonathan for the first time. I’m trying to recall exactly what he said, but it was something along the lines of being happy to meet me and looking forward to working together. He also quickly brought up that his character had a connection to a Betazoid, saying he really liked them.

Sandro Rosta shared that Jonathan Frakes said something similar to him while they were filming the ninth episode. Frakes is very friendly and would often share personal stories, and he pointed out to Rosta that he was in a relationship with a Betazoid princess, just like Frakes had been. Rosta confirmed this, and Frakes simply said he understood how fortunate Rosta was.

Jonathan Frakes jokingly refers to Counselor Troi as “a Betazoid princess,” but she was actually the daughter of Ambassador Lwaxana Troi (played by Majel Barrett). Likewise, Tarima Sadal is the daughter of the President. Both women, being Betazoids, possess strong empathy and sensitivity, but Tarima, like Troi, is also a resilient, skilled, and intelligent leader.

Tarima is a Betazoid with stronger and more unpredictable empathic abilities than Deanna Troi, so she uses a device to limit them. Even though she worried that her feelings for Caleb might cause her to lose control, Tarima and Caleb acted on their attraction in the fifth episode of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

The new series, Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, gives viewers a chance to see the romance between Tarima and Caleb develop in a way Star Trek: The Next Generation couldn’t. When Will Riker and Deanna Troi first met, they were older and their relationship unfolded slowly over seven seasons of The Next Generation before finally becoming official in the TNG movies. This new show offers a different approach to a developing romance.

It must have been fun for Jonathan Frakes to direct Star Trek: Starfleet Academy and discover characters reminiscent of a young William Riker and Deanna Troi. Considering his experience playing Riker and Troi for nearly four decades, it will be interesting to see if Frakes’ understanding of those characters influences the relationship between Tarima and Caleb in episode 9 of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy.

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2026-02-11 12:58